The Contingency Plan
by A. Nutter
Summary: A singing competition is being ... sung ... at Hogwarts, and the students are put into groups of the professors' choice. What friendships will be brought? And when Ginny's mischievous band mates cast a spell, what will happen? Kplus to be on the safe side


**_Author's Rambling_** – I thought I'd try another one shot. One shots seem to be the only thing I can do right now. I get bored with long stories.

Yes, I know this idea has been done so many times, most successfully (I think) by TinyQ in Muggle Music.

By the way, I _really_ hate the name Ginevra. I haven't used Ginny's full name in this, because I hate it so much. BTW, is there any definite proof on Ginny's middle name?

**_Full Summary_** - A singing competition is being ... sung ... at Hogwarts, and the students are put into groups of the professors' choice. What friendships will be brought?

And when Ginny's mischievous band mates cast a spell, what will happen?

**_Disclaimer_** – None of the characters are mine. Obviously. Sariel sort of is, but she's half owned by one of my friends, so mostly not mine. Gabriel is based on one of my friends, with the name taken from another one of my friends.

I don't even think the plots mine; I think I'm stealing bits from other writers. Not quite sure, as it's not written yet. It's just tumbling from my brain. But if you recognise anything, it's either yours, or somebody else has used the same idea, and I've stolen it from them.

The songs, more than anything else, are not mine. One belongs to a bloody amazing unsigned band called Opus Bridge, who by the way, needs to be signed. If you've never heard anything by them, go to www-opusbridge-co-uk/music. Put full stops instead of hyphens. Then you can listen or download their songs from there. The song going to be used most often, I think, is The Contingency Plan. I love that song. Gabriel, the lead singer, is so talented. Wow. … The fact that I'm stalking the bassist has nothing to do with my love for the band … he's amazing too … and I recommend Born Again for the riffs. Wow.

Opus Bridge belongs to… actually; I'm not sure who thought of the name. But Opus Bridge is a real band, and I don't own the rights. Wish I did, cos they're amazing but, alas, I do not.

Other songs, you should recognise, but if you don't, I'll put a list of all the songs I used at the end. None are mine.

Jesus that must be the longest disclaimer in the history of fanfictions.

OK. Enough of my Rambling. On with the story!

**_The Contingency Plan or I Never Thought It Would Happen_**

"Rough justice… poison kiss…" She sang as she got up. She'd heard the song while she was staying at her friend Sariel's for the holidays, and couldn't get it out of her head.

"Sarah…" she called from the bathroom.

"Yeah, Gin?" Sariel called. Her real name was Sariel, but she hated it, so she was called Sarah by everybody close to her. Only teachers called her Sariel, when they used her first name.

"That band you made me listen to…" Ginny called.

"Yeah…"

"What are they called?" Ginny asked, towelling her hair as she came out of the bathroom.

"They're called Opus Bridge, and my best friend at home has a cousin in the band."

"Cool. Is there any way we can listen to them here?"

Sarah laughed. "You're just obsessed with the bassist."

"AM not!" Ginny cried, going scarlet.

"So are. But no, there's no way to listen to them here. We'll just have to make do with your beautiful voice."

Ginny pulled her robes on over her uniform, and grinned at Sarah.

As they walked down to breakfast, Ginny started singing. "The contingency, they won't back down, all heroes forever… and certainly, right now, they're stronger than ever. They are the last stand, no defeat-" she was cut off by the appearance of somebody she'd rather not meet that early in the morning.

Shielding her eyes, she said, "Dammit all, Malfoy, it's too early to be blinded by your hair."

Smirking at her and imitating her voice, Draco replied, "Dammit all, Weasley, it's too early to be deafened by your singing."

Copying his smirk, she stalked past him into the Great Hall. It was almost like a ritual for them now. Every morning since September, he'd stop her on her way into the hall, and make some sort of comment. It was becoming almost... no. Ginny stopped herself before she could finish her sentence. One did not become familiar with _Malfoys_.

There was a sudden lull in the conversation, and Ginny looked up from her plate. Dumbledore ('the old fool', Ginny thought affectionately) had gotten to his feet. "Good morning students, and isn't it a fine morning?" he asked quietly, but no one needed to strain to hear him.

Draco stopped listening. The old fool, as he called him disaffectionately, was sure to make some wishy-washy statement about things that were really no concern of Draco's.

"This term, the professors and I have decided to reward all students for doing well last term." Draco's ears perked up. A reward? For doing absolutely nothing?

"We have decided to do a talent show this year. But, and here's the real killer for some students, we're not going to let anybody enter with wizarding music. All music must be muggle music." The new charms professor, Nymphadora Tonks, said, standing up at Dumbledore's behest.

At once, all Ginny's thoughts of doing the latest Weird Sisters track flew out of her mind, and she was left with just one line from a song. "The Contingency..."

Well, it certainly was an alternative plan, all right.

Draco's mouth dropped open, and he looked around at his fellow Slytherins. Most Slytherins' mouths were open.

Professor Tonks chuckled. "Naturally, there will be some people who wish not to participate, as it involves something muggle. Well, this competition is mandatory. Every student must participate. To make things slightly fairer, we're going to put you into groups."

There was outcry all over the hall. For three quarters of the population in the hall, it was fear at possibly being put with a Slytherin. For the Slytherins, it was being possibly put with a Mudblood or Muggle-lover.

Tonks held up a hand. "We've done this to make things fairer, and to promote house relations. House relations are at an all time low."

Ginny shrugged. There wasn't anyone that would be really bad for her to be teamed with. Malfoy would be a disappointment, but she had a feeling he was actually quite a good singer. Of course, any Slytherin would be bad, but she would be able to deal with it.

"To make things easier," Dumbledore said, standing again. "We have made all the groups with two people from two houses. Very few people have been put on their own with people from other houses. But, we want to see all groups working together within themselves."

Ginny thought over who she could be paired with in her house. Most people in Gryffindor were amicable and easy to get along with. According to Dumbledore, the group lists would be posted on the house notice boards just before lunch.

At lunch, there was a flurry of activity around the notice board in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny, being one of the smallest in her year, fought her way to the front to look. She ran her hand down the list until she found her name and read across. "Virginia Weasley, Sariel McCall, Blaise Zabini, Gabriel Angel. To meet on Thursday lunchtimes in the Transfiguration classroom." She read aloud. Then she shrugged. "Ah well, could have been worse."

She checked the calendar on the wall, and on her way out, grabbed Sarah's hand. "We're paired together, we've got to meet Zabini and Gabriel Angel in the Transfiguration classroom."

Sarah grinned as she was dragged off to the classroom. Gabriel Angel? Things certainly were looking up...

Draco was not having as good a time as Ginny and Sarah, though he didn't know that. He was with Pansy Parkinson and the Patil sisters. Mentally, he sighed. The only boy in a group of girls? What could be worse?

He didn't know it, but things were about to get a lot worse.

Blaise's introduction was, "I don't want to do this, I'm not a very good singer. Please give me something easy to do."

Ginny, Sarah and Gabriel laughed. "Poor Blaisey... I'm not really thrilled about being paired with Gryffs, as I've not had much to do with Gryffs, but I'll give it a go." Gabriel said, looking both girls over, and lingering on Sarah.

"I'm quite happy with this arrangement. It's not as bad as it could be. You two seem nice." Ginny said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"How do you figure? Not saying that this is the pits, but we're evil Slytherins. How could it be any worse for you two?" Blaise said.

"I dunno. One of us could be in a group with Parkinson." She replied.

Blaise and Gabriel shuddered. "I feel sorry for Malfoy." Gabriel said, taking the chair across from Ginny as Blaise was about to sit down.

"Did Malfoy get stuck with her?" Sarah grinned.

"Yep." The Slytherins said together.

Sarah and Ginny laughed evilly. Blaise looked reproachful. "You may not like him much, but you have got to agree that being paired with Parkinson is a fate worse than death."

Gabriel nodded. "Now all that's talked about and over with, can we sort out what we're doing? No offence to you girls, but I _did_ have plans for this lunchtime."

"Your little Huff?" Blaise said knowingly.

Ginny looked around the group as they all talked. When Blaise mentioned Gabriel's 'little Huff', Sarah's face fell just a fraction. Blaise noticed, and immediately looked at Ginny. She raised an eyebrow questioningly at him.

Really, Ginny thought, you'd never know that the boys were in two different years, the way they talked!

"What do we do?" Sarah asked.

"Something easy. Something I don't have to do much for."

Ginny looked at Gabriel, resisting the urge to laugh. Gabriel had no such qualms, and burst out laughing. "You'd think you were a Hufflepuff, the way you go on! Scared of every new thing!"

"Yes, and you'd know all about Huffs being scared of new things..." Blaise jibed.

Gabriel blushed and said, "Back to the subject at hand..."

"Blaise, can you play an instrument?"

"... I play the drums ..."

An idea formed in Ginny's head. "Hmmm. Sarah, you play guitar... Gabriel?"

"I can play bass guitar and the violin."

"Excellent." Ginny said, clapping her hands.

"Ginny, what's your plan?" Sarah asked, looking at her.

"I can pretty much guarantee no one else will be doing our song..." she said.

"God, you're acting like Granger, woman, spit it out!" Blaise said.

Ginny turned to Sarah. "Do you still have all the music for Contingency Plan?"

Sarah smiled slowly. "Yes, but it's a pretty hard song..."

"Only for vocals. For everything else, it's pretty much the easiest song in the world..."

"It's so not. It took Nick three weeks to learn it!"

"But Nick's..."

"Girls, let us into your conversation!" Gabriel begged. "Who the hell is Nick?" Blaise asked.

"Nick is the bass player for a band called Opus Bridge, the band who originally did the song Ginger's wanting to play." Sarah said.

"Oh my God, you know my cousin?" Gabriel said.

"... what a turn of events. I never would have seen that coming." Blaise said dryly.

Everyone rolled their eyes at him. "What do you think of the song?" Ginny asked Gabriel.

"Not _the_ best, but certainly _one_ of the best. It's easy. I know it already. Nick taught me it when I was at his over the holidays."

"Well, girls, this has certainly been fun, but it's ten minutes until the end of lunch, and I'm hungry. Get hold of a CD or something to let us listen to, and we'll figure it out then."

Draco collapsed on his bed in the Slytherin sixth year dorms a month later. "My god, females are handfuls..." he said, putting a hand over his eyes.

Blaise looked over at him. "Didn't have much luck with the pug and the twins, huh?" he asked, putting down his book.

"The man's a genius." Draco said sarcastically. "How is it going for you with the youngest Weasley?"

"Really well. She's not that bad, she has very good taste in music. The first song we're playing is by some non-famous band with which she's connected, so... yeah. The second song is a bass-heavy song by some muggle icon." Blaise said.

"At least you're not being forced to do pop music..." Draco sighed. He wished he gotten the youngest Weasley and her friend instead of the Patil twins. Maybe then he would have been able to deal with the pug who insisted that she and Draco were an item.

That was the reason Draco told himself, and he was going to stick with it. It wasn't because he had come to like her very much in the few months when they had been trading insults like friends, but wasn't going to admit it to anyone, least of all Zabini.

Blaise rolled over to look at Draco properly. "That bad?"

"Yeah. But I have some salvation with the second song. We're doing one by some punk band. Parvati isn't too bad, but her sister and Pansy are awful. They're complaining whenever we have to practice our second song. Parvati isn't too bad a singer, and she's brilliant for punk. Pansy and the other Patil are so bad, I'm surprised they haven't broken windows."

Little did he know that in the Slytherin sixth year female dorms, Pansy had just started singing, and the window cracked from side to side.

The day of the performance finally came, almost too fast for Ginny. She wasn't entirely sure that she knew all the bass part for the second song. The performance was taking place after the Easter holidays, and she had gotten some tips from Opus Bridge whilst staying at Sarah's again, so she felt she was pretty good with the vocals for their first song. Each group was to play two songs, on different nights.

Malfoy had been put to perform on the same nights as their group, and walked past her now with a giggling pug and twins in tow. "Looking good, Malfoy, did Mummy have to dress you again?" she called out, smirking as he stopped and turned back.

"Wow, you finally managed to tame that mop. It's actually rather amazing." He said, fingering a lock of her unusually straight hair.

"Shame you haven't managed to do anything with the personality." Ginny said, pulling her head away from Malfoy's hand.

"Shame you haven't managed to do something with those hideous freckles." They glared at each other.

Unseen by either, Blaise pulled out his wand and whispered a few well-chosen words. He gave a perfect Slytherin smirk as Draco pulled Ginny to him and began kissing her passionately. She relaxed into his kiss, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer.

As suddenly as they started, both teens pulled away, and stared at each other in horror. The pug and the twins pulled Draco off, presumably to give him a sound tongue lashing, and Ginny muttered, "I need to brush my teeth" and rushed off to the toilets.

Sarah and Gabriel turned to Blaise. "What spell was that?" Sarah asked in awe.

"The desire spell. It makes the victim act out his desires." Blaise laughed.

Gabriel held out a hand, and Blaise took it solemnly. "If there's anyone that needed that spell, it's certainly those two." Sarah said, clapping Blaise on the back.

"We need to save that spell..." Gabriel said. "What're the words?"

Finally, it was time for Opus Two, as Ginny, Sarah, Gabriel and Blaise had called themselves, to go on.

Ginny's hands shook as she took hold of her microphone.

The music started, and it was like her brain just faded... all she could feel was the music, running through her...

"The contingency... they won't back down, all heroes forever... and certainly, right now, they're stronger than ever... they are the last stand, no defeat or pain can, take them away..." She sang huskily.

The song came to a close in a clash of cymbals, and she breathed hard.

There was at least one person in the audience stunned by something other than her voice. "How did I not notice this before?" he whispered.

"What, Draccy poo?" Pansy asked, turning.

"Nothing. It's time for us to get onstage," He said, getting up.

Blaise smiled as he watched Draco ready himself on the stage. He looked like a man about to be sent to a slaughter house. Poor bloke.

Draco wasn't having a very good time. He was about to do a song by none other than the Backstreet Boys, and he had the pug and IT backing him up. Parvati wasn't too bad, which is why she was singing half the song with him.

"Show me the meaning of being lonely..." They sang as the music started.

"So many words, for the broken heart. It's hard to see, in a crimson love, so hard to breathe, walk with me and maybe..." Patil said. IT, her sister, looked on jealously.

"Nights, of light, so soon become. Wild and free, I can feel the sun, your every wish will be done they tell me." Draco sang. Ginny watched from offstage. Purely to check out the competition, of course.

"Show me the meaning of being lonely. Is this the feeling, I need to walk with. Tell me why, I can't be there where you are... there's something missing in my heart." Parvati and Draco sang together with the pug and IT singing backups.

As they finished the song, cheers spread through the hall like wildfire. Nobody really liked Draco, the twins or Pansy, yet nobody could deny that they had talent.

"Half of them, anyway." Tonks said to professor McGonagal.

Later that night, Ginny took the bass from Gabriel, and they changed places from where they had been standing for their first performance.

"Everyone ready?" Gabriel asked, gearing himself up.

"Yep." Three voices chorused.

"We're gonna win." Gabriel started. Ginny came straight in with the bass, and every stared in awe at the young girl holding a guitar bigger than herself, yet managing to tame the bass most effectively.

"Don't wanna be a loser, gonna win. Cos winning really is the only thing. Get out of the way, we're coming in. Do you wanna-" here Gabriel paused for a beat, then started again. "Step inside the ring. Does anybody wanna take a swing? It's gotta be all in my thing. Woah, we're gonna be the champions, yeah, we're going all the way, we're gonna win, win."

Everybody playing the instruments played in perfect sync. They were all note-perfect, and the cheering from the students raised the roof after they were finished.

The pug and IT stayed at the back of the stage. Parvati and Draco stepped to the front, each taking a mic.

The music started, and Draco started to sing when he was supposed to. Parvati had decided, as she didn't like the second song much, that she would be just singing on the chorus.

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be. Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface. I don't know what you're expecting of me, put under the pressure, of walking in your shoes."

"Caught in the undertones, we're just caught in the undertones." The pug and IT monotoned. They really regretted not pushing harder for a song they could sing.

"Every step that I take is another mistake to you..." Draco said, perfectly in tune with the music.

"I've become so numb, I can't feel you there, I've become so tired, so much more aware, I'm becoming this, all I want to do, is be more like me and be less like you..." Parvati and Draco sang together.

"And I know I may end up, failing to... but I know... that you were just like me with someone disappointed in you..." Draco said powerfully. Maybe powerfully isn't the right word. Well, with lots of emotion behind the words, anyway.

A week later and Nymphadora Tonks was in a real bind. Most of the acts were nothing to write home about, but there were two outstanding acts.

"How am I to choose who wins?" she asked herself.

"Let them both win." An oily voice said from behind her. She spun and caught her breath.

"Dammit, what is it with Slytherins sneaking up behind good little Gryffs?" Tonks asked, turning back to the parchment with the names of the two acts on.

Fingers trailed over her neck. "It's a talent."

She turned again, slower this time, not looking at the Potions master. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

And here the narrator will stop to allow the audience time to shudder. **-Elevator music plays in the background-**

After a time, he drew back. "Let them both win." He said again, turning and leaving the way he came in.

She shook her head to rid herself of the naughty thoughts, and looked back at the parchment.

"There were so many good acts." Tonks said the day after her little snogging session with Snape, lying through her teeth. "In fact, the acts were so good, that we've decided on two winners, instead of one. The winners will win a house-elf for the week, and a hundred galleons each."

Hermione started to speak angrily, but Ron placed a finger over her mouth. "Now is not the time." He said. Harry just looked away from them at Tonks.

"The winners are..." Tonks drew the moment out. Extra anticipation, you see. "Draco Malfoy, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Pansy Parkinson, and Ginny Weasley, Sariel McCall, Blaise Zabini and Gabriel Angel."

All eight students got up. Sariel and Gabriel hugged Blaise and Ginny, and Draco just ignored everyone. Tells you about the friendships.

Draco and Ginny were standing next to each other. Sariel didn't know how it happened, but Ginny was suddenly in Draco's arms, and not fighting him. Ron's ears turned pink.

Sariel, Gabriel and Blaise looked at each other. "Who cast the spell?" Blaise asked.

Both Sariel and Gabriel shook their heads.

Blaise looked at Draco and Ginny in a new light. Silently, he clapped Draco.

"Never thought it'd happen." He whispered.

...o0O**O**O0o...

**_Author's Rambling_** - Woohoo! Finally. A finished story, after about three years of writing G/D.

Actually, it's my second finished G/D. Makes me feel good.

All songs used were not mine. The first song that Ginny and Co sang was The Contingency Plan by Opus Bridge, whereI got the name for this fic from. The first song that Draco and Co sung is Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely by the Backstreet Boys. The second song that Ginny and Co sang was called We're Gonna Win by Bryan Adams, and the second song that Draco and Co sang was Numb by those wonderful young men, Linkin Park. No copyright infringement was intended. I know full well that those songs are not mine, and I bow down at the feet of the writers of those songs.

Whoever invented cold showers is a goddess. It's been so hot here recently, any other Brits out there thinking the same? I love cold showers in the summer.

Yeah. Watch this space, I shall return soon, with another fic! I'm considering doing a G/D cliché to end all clichés. I hate clichés, but I know full well I've used quite a few in here. They're so easy to write. That's why they're the clichés, because everyone finds them so easy to write, so everyone writes them.

BTW - contingency plan means alternative plan. Blame Opus Bridge's writer.

Bye, peeps!

**_Thelongestnameintheworld,butican'tbebotheredtowriteitout,soishallbecalledA.Nutter_**

Otherwise known as **_Edna Mode_** or **_BrokenDreams_** or **_Rey McC_** or **_Coral Crow_**.

Woah, I have a lot of netnames.


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